Discharging arrangements for bulk fluids



Dec. 26, 1967 E. c. WESTON ETAL 3,360,000

DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Filed April 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet j Dec. 26, 1967 c. WESTON ETAL 3,360,000

DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Filed April 15, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet 2 lrwenlo M h tone;

Dec. 26, 1-967 E. c. WESTON ETAL 3,360,000

DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Filed April 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet z 1967 E. c. WESTON ETAL -DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Filed April 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Dec 26, 1967 c. WESTON ETAL 3,360,000

DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Filed April 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I ma United States Patent M 3,360,000 DISCHARGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BULK FLUIDS Edward Clement Weston, Gloucester, and John Raymond Palfrey, London, England, assignors to Gloster Saro Limited, Gloucestershire, England, a British company Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 545,203 7 Claims. (Cl. 137--267) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An arrangement for discharging bulk fluids from a tank or container divided into a number of compartments, wherein the tank compartments have separate delivery lines leading to a distributor or junction box which has valves for routing the delivery from any compartment to either one of two outflow lines but not both simultaneously, a manually-operable selector is coupled to the distributor valves to enable valves corresponding to selected tank compartments to be opened at will, and preset con trol means is provided in association with the distributor valves in an arrangement whereby the manner of opening of the valves can be selected in advance so that each tank compartment is connectable through the distributor to only a particular one of the outflow lines, that is until the setting is changed.

Description of the disclosure This invention relates to arrangements for the discharging of bulk fluids from tanks or containers in which they have been stored and/or transported.

One particular field of application of the invention is to road tankers. Such a vehicle commonly has its tank divided into a number of separate compartments for containing different liquid products, or diflerent grades of the same basic product, and there is a problem involved in providing delivery arrangements that will minimize contamination of one liquid by another and also guard against inadvertent or unauthorized mixing of two liquids on delivery. It is an object of this invention to provide a practical and relatively inexpensive delivery system, capable of use on a multi-compartment road tanker, which can prevent the tanker crew from mixing different liquids with one another through the vehicle piping system during delivery without detracting from the other facilities normally desired on these vehicles.

According to the invention, the tank compartments have separate delivery lines leading to a distributor or junction box which has valves for routing the delivery from any compartment to either one of two outflow lines but not both simultaneously, a manually-operable selector is coupled to the distributor valves to enable valves corresponding to selected tank compartments to be opened at will, and preset control means is provided in association with the distributor valves in an arrangement whereby the manner of opening of the valves can be selected in advance so that each tank compartment is connectable through the distributor to only a particular one of the outflow lines, that is until the setting is changed.

Preferably, also, the manual selector has interlock means such that only the distributor valves appertaining to a selected one in each of two groups of the tank compartments can be opened at any one time, the interlock means being capable of adjustment to allow the tank compartment groupings to be changed. These groupings may correspond to the grouping of the tank compartments for separate delivery into the two outflow lines as determined by the preset control means. In this context, the words two groups are intended to include the case where one group consists of only a single tank compartment.

3,360,000 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 In a system where the distribution valves are fluid pressure operated, the manual selector may comprise selector valves equal in number to the number of tank compartments and each controlling the admission of pressure fluid to a line that connects both to a fluid-pressure-operated foot valve of a respective tank compartment and to the distributor valve associated with that compartment. There may be a pair of distributor valves for each tank compartment, opening of one of the pair serving to con, nect the compartment to one outflow line while the other connects the compartment to the other outflow line, and the preset control means may comprise individual cocks in the fluid pressure lines to the pairs of distributor valves each of which cocks can be independently set to determine which distributor valve of the respective pair receives the pressure fluid when the corresponding manual selector valve is operated.

Such a system can prevent mixing of different liquids while nevertheless allowing two liquids to be discharged at the same time through the two outflow lines. And apart from enabling simultaneous discharge of two different liquids, the provision of two outflow lines also allows one to be reserved for heavy fuels and the other for light fuels so that the two kinds are never put through the same piping.

To illustrate the system, an example of an arrangement in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The example chosen is that of a road tanker having its tank divided into five compartments, and in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagram showing the layout of the vehicle in elevation,

FIGURE 2 is a diagram of an actuating system for valves that control the delivery of the tank contents,

FIGURE 3 shows the arrangement of valves in a junction box assembly,

FIGURE 4 shows a selector valve interlock box with part of the cover broken away, and

FIGURE 5 is a view in section on the line -55 of FIG- URE 4.

The five tank compartments 11 deliver into five separate pipes 12 each of which connects to a respective one of five chambers 13 of a distributor or junction box 14. Flow from any tank compartment into its particular delivery pipe 12 is controlled by a hydraulic foot valve 15 individual to that compartment; each of the five foot valves can be quite a simple lift valve raised by a hydraulically-actuated plunger. Along opposite sides of the junction box 14 there lie two manifolds 16, 17 which lead, respectively, to two separate outflow lines 18, 19 to which discharge hoses can be coupled. The outflow lines 18, 19 are provided with individual flow meters 20, 21 and stopcocks 22, 23. Pairs of hydraulically-operated poppet valves establish flows from the junction box chambers 13 to the manifolds 16, 17 and thus to the outflow lines 18, 19 in a preselectable manner as will hereinafter be described.

To secure accurate metering, the meters and the manifolds upstream thereof should always remain full of liq- =uid, so that the meters do not pass any significant amount of air, but at the same time it is desirable that this trapped liquid content should be reasonably small in order to keep down the amount of contamination that takes place when a change is made in the liquid discharged. As will be seen in FIGURE 1, the piping, the junction box and manifold assembly and other flow passages for the discharged liquids are all disposed entirely below the tank, and the outflow line in each case rises temporarily above the level of the associated manifold and meter flow passage at a situation downstream of the meter. To these raised portions 24, 25 of the outflow lines are connected air vent pipes 26, 27 incorporating syphon breaking valves 28, 29

that have control couplings 30, 31 to the respective manifolds 16, 17 at points just upstream of the meters. During discharge through either of the outflow lines the raised portion 24 or 25 thereof maintain a syphon action; breaking of the syphon at the end of delivery is employed to control the lowest level to which the liquid can fall in the pipeline and manifold. The syphon breaking valve 28 or 29 remains closed until the liquid level in the particular tank compartment or compartments from which delivery is taking place has fallen very low to a predetermined level. This valve then senses, through the coupling pipe 30 or 31, the reduced pressure due to the reduction in total head of liquid, and as a consequence the syphon breaking valve automatically opens so as to destroy the syphon action. This causes the liquid delivery to slow down and prevents air entrainment caused by vortex action at the foot valve. The final liquid level in the pipes is as indi cated by the line 32. An alternative way of automatically actuating the syphon breaking valves is by mechanical couplings to the respective meters, arranged to operate at preset meter readings.

Thus, by careful design of the outflow lines, and in particular the raised portions 24, 25 thereof, the final liquid level is kept just high enough to trap the minimum of liquid in the meters and manifolds that is consistent with meter accuracy, while enabling the system to be drained to a low level such as will reduce contamination on change of liquid delivered to a negligible amount. The contamination can, with the arrangement showmibe reduced to less than one percent.

Whereas delivery from the tank compartments will normally be under gravity, it is convenient to provide a pump for the handling of heavy fuels. The outflow line 19 therefore incorporates a three-way cock 33 enabling the liquid to be discharged through an alternative pipe 34 into which is connected a pump 35.

Considering now the hydraulic valve control arrangement as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the system includes five four-way cocks 3-6 and five manually-operable spool-type selector valves 37. Each selector valve serves to connect a line 38, individual to that valve, either to hydraulic pressure or to exhaust, the hydraulic pressure line 39 being supplied by a hand pump 40 and oil accumulator 41 while the exhaust line 42 returns to a vented oil reservoir 43 from which the pump draws. Each of the fourway cocks 36 is paired with a different one of the selector valves 37, and each such pair is associated with a different one of the tank compartments 11. The line 38 from the selector valve 37 is, in each case, connected, on the one hand, to one of the ways of the associated four-way cock 36 and, on the other hand, to the hydraulic control conmotion 44 of the foot vave of the associated tank compartment. A second of the four way-s of the cock 36 is connected to exhaust, and the remaining two are connected, respectively, to two of the poppet valves in the junction box assembly, these two poppet valves forming a pair associated with the particular chamber 13 of the junction box to which the delivery pipe 12 of the respective tank compartment is connected.

FIGURE 3 shows the arrangement of a pair of poppet valves 45, 46 in the junction box assembly. The five chambers 13 in the junction box have no direct communication with one another but each can be put into communication with one or the other of the two manifolds 16, 17 by opening of one or the other of its two poppet valves. It will be seen from FIGURE 2 that, assuming the appropriate selector valve 37 has been operated to pressurise the respective line 38, the setting of any of the four-way cocks 36 can determine which of the two associated poppet valves 5, 6 receives hydraulic pressure and therefore which of the manifolds 16, 17 receives the delivery from the respective tank compartment 11. By the design of the cock 36 it is impossible for both poppet valves of a pair to receive hydraulic operating pressure at the same time, but on the other hand 4 the foot valve 15 of the associated tank compartment will always open when a poppet valve 45 or 46 opens because of the connection thereto from the pressurized line 38.

The selector valves 37 are for operation by the tanker crew to bring about delivery from a particular tank compartment or compartments. However, the four-way cocks 36 can be preset and locked at the depot before the tanker goes on the road, for example by means of a padlocked bar 47 (FIGURE 1) passed through holes in rotary member thereof, to ensure that one or more selected tank compartments can only deliver through one outflow line and the remainder only through the other outflow line. This allows simultaneous delivery of two different liquids from different tank compartments while preventing their being mixed.

To prevent mixing in the case where three or more different liquids are carried an interlock arrangement is provided on the selector valves 37, this being shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Each selector valve 37 has an operating stern 101 upon which is a cylindrical head 55. Actuation of the valve 37 is by axial movement of the stem 101 and head 55 but the head 55 is also capable of being rotated about the axis of the stem for the purpose to be described. The head 55 has a diametral slot 102 machined across its outer end face remote from the valve 37; and one side wall of this slot is entirely removed by the formation at that side of a deep recess 57 in the valve head 55 extending almost through to the opposite end face 103 of the head. On the opposite side of the valve head 55 there is formed a recess or slot 56 of more limited extent passing across the head in a direction parallel to the planes of the end faces thereof.

An enclosing box 48 of generally rectangular form is provided around the valve heads 55, the selector valves 37 being disposed in a row and projecting out through respective apertures 104 in the bottom of the box 48, each valve body having a securing flange 105 at its end adjacent the head 55 which flange seats on the interior floor of the box. The box 48 is open at the side 106 away from the valve bodies 37, to allow access to the valve heads 55 within the box, but once the valve heads have been set a sliding cover plate 107 is placed in position to close the opening. The setting of the valve heads 55 is accomplished by placing each head in either one of two angular settings which are 180 of rotation apart. FIG- URE 5 shows a valve head 55 in one of these two settings and it will be seen that the slot 102 is parallel to the side walls 108 of the box 48, as is also the side slot 56 in the head. In the Opposite 180 setting this parallel relationship is maintained but the positions of the slot 56 and the large cut-away 57 on the other side of the valve head are, of course, reversed side for side.

Within the box 48 are secured two longitudinally extending slide rods 51, 52 and on each of these rods there slides an individual manual selector 49, 50 consisting of a hand lever projecting out through a longitudinal slot 109 in the box lid 107 and a cam portion 53, 54- disposed within the box 48 and having a nose 110 projecting toward the row of valve heads 55. It will be seen in FIG- URE 5 that the row of valve heads lies along the centre of the box while the two slide rods 51, 52 and their corresponding selectors 49, 50 are disposed on opposite sides of the row of heads so that the cam noses 110 project toward said row from opposite directions at opposite sides. The positional relationship of the selector cams 53, 54 and the heads 55 is such that, when a head 55 is set with its slot 56 facing toward that side where a particular selector 49, 50 lies, the sliding of the selector along its respective rod 51, 52 will bring the nose 110 on the cam 53 or 55 snugly into the recess 56 of the valve head. With the cam 53 or 54 and the heads 55 in this co-operating relationship, rocking to and fro of the hand lever 49 or 50 produces axial movement of the valve head 55 and stem 101 to operate the valve 57. However on the op-.

posite side of the valve head 55, when in this setting, the other selector cam cannot be operatively engaged with the head 55 because when it is brought opposite the head cam nose 53 or 54 merely enters the space left by the large cut-away 57 and rocking of the selector lever does not bring the cam nose into operative contact with any part of the valve head. And it will be understood that when the head is turned through 180 into its alternative setting, the selector which formerly operated it will now not do so whereas the selector which formerly did not operate it will now be slidable into a position with its cam nose 53 or 54 snugly within the recess 56 of the valve head, now lying on the opposite side, so that this formerly inoperative selector lever will now in fact operate the valve.

It will now be understood that by setting a first group of the valve heads 55 in one angular position and setting the remainder in the opposite angular position it can be arranged that said first group will be operable selectively by the manual selector on one side, but not by the other selector, whereas said remainder of the valve heads will be operable by the selector on the opposite side but not by the selector operating the first group. Each selector can only operate one particular valve in its respective group at any one time because there is only one selector on each side.

The box lid 107 is provided with transverse notches 58 communicating with each longitudinal slot 109, as best seen in FIGURE 4, these notches being each opposite the location of a respective valve head 55 and thereby permitting the selector levers 49, 50 to be rocked at the appropriate places opposite the valve heads but not elsewhere.

To lock the valve heads 55 in their respective settings a T-section locking bar 59 is inserted so that it lies longitudinally within the box 48 with the stem of the T inserted in the slot 102 in the valve heads and also, at the ends of the bar, in slots 111 provided in the end walls 112 of the box 48. The valve heads are prevented thus from turning since each has the one side wall of its slot 102 contiguous with one or the other of the two side faces of the stem of the T-bar 59 which bar is itself locked against lateral movement by reason of its engagement with the box end walls. Once the sliding cover lid 107 is in place the T-bar 59 is inaccessible and is prevented from rising out of the various slots in which it is engaged by the presence of the cover lid 107 over it. The cover lid itself can be locked in place by insertion of the hasp of a padlock (not shown) through mating holes 113 in the lid 107 and in a lug on one end wall of the box 48. In this way the box 48 is sealed to prevent unauthorised interference with the valve head settings.

The five selector valve spools are all normally in positions in which the five lines 38 are connected to exhaust. Selection of any tank compartment for delivery of liquid therefrom is accomplished by sliding the appropriate selector lever 49 or 50 until it is opposite the selector valve associated with that compartment and then moving the lever angularly into the appropriate one of the number of notches 58 that are provided in the cover plate of the valve box 48. The initial sliding movement of the selector lever engages its cam 53 or 54 with the head 55 of the selector valve, and the angular movement depresses the head and consequently shifts the valve spool axially to admit pressure fluid to the corresponding line 38. Once a selector lever has been used to actuate a valve in this way, so that its shank lies in one of the notches 58, it is locked against sliding movement by the sides of the notch. To enable a dilferent valve to be actuated the selector lever must first be withdrawn from the notch 58 to free it for sliding movement, which of course has the effect of returning the valve that was previously actuated to its initial setting. It is therefore impossible to select two tank compartments for simultaneous delivery by means of one and the same selector lever.

The rotational settings of the valve heads 55 are selected at the depot and locked "by means of the T-bar 59 that is engaged in the slots in the top of every valve head and is enclosed within the locked valve box 48. The usual manner of use in practice will be for all the valve heads 55 that are associated with tank compartments delivering into one manifold and outflow line to be turned in one angular setting and the remaining valve head or heads, associated with compartments delivering to the other manifold and outflow line, turned into the other angular setting. Then it is possible for the tanker crew to select two tank compartments at the same time by using the two selector levers but these two compartments will always be compartments delivering separately to the two manifolds and outflow lines; it will never be possible to mix flows by simultaneously selecting two tank compartments delivering to the same manifold.

The tanker can readily be arranged for loading either through the tops of the tank compartments or from the bottom through the foot valves 15. In the case of top loading manual operators for the foot valves are required to enable any air in the pipe lines between the foot valves and the manifold block to be vented. For bottom loading, provision can be made for the attachment of hose couplings to the junction box 14, for example at the opposite side to the connections for the pipes 12. During bottom loading the foot valves will simply act as nonreturn valves if they are lift valves of the pattern indicated diagrammatically in FIGURE 1.

While the invention has been described in its application to multi-compartment road tankers it will be appreciated that the same basic technique can be adopted in any case where there is a similar requirement for discharge of a number of different liquids through a common piping system without mixing.

We claim:

1. An arrangement for discharging bulk fluids from a tank or container divided into a number of compartments, wherein the tank compartments have separate delivery lines leading to a distributor or junction box which has valves for routing the delivery from any compartment to either one of two outflow lines but not both simultaneously, a manually-operable selector is coupled to the distributor valves to enable valves corresponding to selected tank compartments to be opened at will, and preset control means is provided in association with the distributor valves in an arrangement whereby the manner of opening of the valves can be selected in advance so that each tank compartment is connectable through the distributor to only a particular one of the outflow lines, that is until the setting is changed.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the manual selector has interlock means such that only the distributor valves appertaining to a selected one in each of two groups of the tank compartments can be opened at any one time, the interlock means being capable of adjustment to allow the tank compartment groupings to be changed.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the compartment groupings correspond to the grouping of the tank compartments for separate delivery into the two outflow lines as determined by the preset control means.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the distributor valves are fluid-pressure-operated.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the manual selector comprises selector valves equal in num ber to the number of tank compartments and each controlling the admission of pressure fluid to a line that connects both to a fluid-pressure-operated foot valve of a respective tank compartment and to the distributor valves associated with that compartment.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein there are a pair of distributor valves for each tank compartment, opening of one of the pair serving to connect the 8 compartment to one outflow line While the other connects References Cited the compartment to the other outflow line. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7. An arrangement accordmg to claim 6, wherein the preset control means comprise individual cocks in the f' g g golby "1 ggig flu'd ressure line to th airs f distr'b tor l e ch eorge l p s e P 0 1 u vav S ea 5 2,301,821 11/1942 Scott 137 257 of which cocks can be independently set to determine which distributor valve of the respective pair receives the pressure fluid when the corresponding manual selector CARY NELSON P'lmary Examiner valve is operated. R. I. MILLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR DISCHARGING BULK FLUIDS FROM A TANK OR CONTAINER DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF COMPARTMENTS, WHEREIN THE TANK COMPARTMENTS HAVE SEPARATE DELIVERY LINES LEADING TO A DISTRIBUTOR OR JUNCTION BOX WHICH HAS VALVES FOR ROUTING THE DELIVERY FROM ANY COMPARTMENT TO EITHER ONE OF TWO OUTFLOW LINES BUT NOT BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY, A MANUALLY-OPERABLE SELECTOR IS COUPLED TO THE DISTRIBUTOR VALVES TO ENABLE VALVES CORRESPONDING TO SELECTED TANK COMPARTMENTS TO BE OPENED AT WILL, AND PRESET CONTROL MEANS IS PROVIDED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR VALVES IN AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY THE MANNER OF OPENING OF THE VALVES CAN BE SELECTED IN ADVANCE SO THAT EACH TANK COMPARTMENT IS CONNECTABLE THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTOR TO ONLY A PARTICULAR ONE OF THE OUTFLOW LINES, THAT IS UNITL THE SETTING IS CHANGED. 